Harriet Bethell teams up with Fujin Dancer at Ludlow

HARRIET BETHELL, whose love for Fujin Dancer deepened when she rode her favourite gelding to another success at Fakenham last month, teams up with the North Yorkshire performer again at Ludlow this afternoon.

Trained by Brian Ellison for William Bethell, Harriet's father, Fujin Dancer has proved a great money-spinner for connections, both on the Flat and over jumps.

Amateur rider Harriet has ridden him to win under both codes and her latest success on Fujin Dancer came four weeks ago in the Fakenham Silver Cup, a race the duo had also landed in 2011.

Today the Harris Allday Stockbrokers Handicap Handicap is the target. Fujin Dancer has been raised 5lb by the handicapper for his latest success, but Harriet Bethell will be hoping he can carry her to another victory. It is far from a remote possibility.

Ellison has also sent Phase Shift on the long journey to Ludlow in Shropshire for the Alfa Aggregates Products Novices' Handicap Chase, but Danny Cook's mount may have to settle for minor honours. Preference is for the Nigel Twiston-Davies-trained Speed Master, a fluent winner at Warwick last month and expected to prove capable of defying a 7lb rise.

Venetia Williams has enjoyed a spectacular season and Rosa Fleet, who has contributed two wins to the trainer's scoresheet, can pop up again in the Robert Holden Ltd Mares' Novices' Hurdle. Successful at Towcester and Market Rasen on two of her last three starts, Rosa Fleet has only a single penalty to shoulder here and will be hard to beat. Aidan Coleman rides.

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Also worth noting at Ludlow are Rascal (2.30), who showed promise at Hexham and who may upset the hat-trick seeking Saint Jerome if able to build on his latest effort, and Great Value (4.00), who scored handsomely at Southwell last month when switched back to fences. He can oblige once more.

North Yorkshire trainer Kevin Ryan, whose stable star Astaire runs at Newbury on Saturday, has identified an opportunity for Desert Colours to try to extend his winning sequence at Kempton this evening.

The gelding, who has won his last three races, two at Wolverhampton and one here, goes for the four-timer in the Download The BetVictor App Now Handicap. Kevin Stott, who rode him last time and who claims a valuable 5lb allowance, takes the mount again.

Ryan, pictured, has pencilled in the prestigious Greenham Stakes for Astaire to make his seasonal debut. Last year the colt won the Gimcrack Stakes at York and the Middle Park Stakes at Newmarket to stamp himself one of the leading juveniles in the country.

Freddie Tylicki could enjoy a profitable visit to Kempton. He is fancied to score on Clive Brittain's Pastoral Witness (6.10) and Ray Of Joy (6.40), the nap selection.

Trained by John Jenkins, for whom Tylicki has ridden a host of winners this winter, Ray Of Joy could finish only third at Wolverhampton last time out. But she had previously won on this course, which took her track tally to six successes from eight career wins.

A return to her favourite venue is fancied to put Ray Of Joy back in winning form over six furlongs.

The feature race on the card has attracted only four runners, but the entire quartet are useful horses and the result could go any of four ways.

Punters will no doubt be drawn to Festival Theatre, a course winner last season, who represents Sir Michael Stoute and Ryan Moore, but marginal preference is for Anglo Irish (7.40), who won at Lingfield in February and who has fewer fitness doubts than Festival Theatre, who is making his first appearance for eight months. Trained by John Gosden, Anglo Irish will be partnered by his stable jockey William Buick.

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